University of Richmond Athletics
AlOng Came the Spiders
Aug. 7, 2001
Location: Philadelphia, PA 19131
Founded: 1851
Enrollment: 3,400 (private)
Nickname: Hawks
School Colors: Crimson and Gray
President: Nicholas S. Rashford, S.J.
Director of Athletics: Don DiJulia
Dept. of Athletics Address:
Saint Joseph's University
Department of Athletics
5600 City Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19131
Most Recent A10 Championships: 2000 Men's and Women's Cross Country
Year joined the A10: 1983
Driving Distance from Richmond: 244.4 miles
Official Athletics Website: www.sjuhawks.com
Sports:
Men's: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Lacrosse, Rowing, Soccer, Tennis, Track & Field
Women's: Basketball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Rowing, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field
A-10 Item List About St. Joseph's
1) Hawk Hill... St. Joseph's is also known as Hawk Hill. The nickname is not only derived from the mascot but also the school's position atop the western edge of the Philadelphia city limits. At one time the University's Barbelin tower was the highest point in Philadelphia.
2) The Hawk... One of the most famous mascots in the nation, the Hawk first took flight in 1956 during a men's basketball victory over city-rival La Salle. Twenty-five students have donned the Hawk costume, but this past season was the first time a female student was the Hawk for men's basketball. A 16,000-dollar endowed scholarship goes with the position, but it's not easy being the Hawk. There's an arduous application process - including interviews with coaches and the athletic director, plus there's the St. Joseph's tradition that the Hawk's wings be constantly flapping from the moment it arrives on the court until it disappears after game's end. Selected as the nation's top mascot by Sports Illustrated, Street & Smith Basketball Yearbook and ESPN Magazine, The Hawk is enshrined in the St. Joseph's Athletic Hall of Fame.
3) The Hawks... Ironically, the nickname "Hawks" came into being in 1931 because of the football team's aerial attack. The nickname has far outlived the sport. Football began at St. Joe's in 1922 but was disbanded in 1939. Football, however, is still remembered fondly on Hawk Hill. The entire program has been inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.
4) Hall New to the Hill... Despite some 100 years of collegiate athletics, St. Joseph's had no Hall of Fame until November 1999. "With the millennium and the University's sesquicentennial at hand, the timing was perfect for this historic event," said SJU athletics director Don DiJulia. The first class had19 inductees, including the Hawk, the entire football program, legendary basketball coach Dr. Jack Ramsey, now an ESPN commentator and major league pitcher Jamie Moyer. Last year's second class added 18 more, including former NBA players Mike Bantom and Matt Guokas, Houston Astros General Manager Gerry Hunsicker, "The Mighty Mites" (see below), and three sport women's star Debbie Black (no relation to Voice of the Spiders, Bob Black!), who's currently playing in the WNBA.
5) The Might Mites... This group of six men's basketball players, along with Hall of Fame coach Bill Ferguson, helped put St. Joseph's on the national map. Philadelphia area sportswriters dubbed the six "The Mighty Mites" in the mid 1930's. Matt Guokas, Sr., John McMenamin, Dan Kenney, Jim Smale, John Kenney and Joe Oakes were 54-17 during their years on Hawk Hill. Two of their more memorable wins came over Clair Bee's nationally-ranked Long Island team, and city-rival Penn in front of more than 10,000 fans at the famed Palestra.
6) The Dynamic Duo... St. Joseph's men's team will bring to the Robins Center one of the nation's most prolific backcourts - Jameer Nelson (left) and Marvin O'Connor (right) . Both are among 50 nominees for the prestigious Wooden Award, given annually to the nation's top men's college basketball player. Nelson, a rising sophomore, was one of 12 players named to the 2001 USA Basketball World Championship for Young Men Team. The squad will compete Aug. 3-12 in the 2001 FIBA World Championship for Young Men in Saitama, Japan. O'Connor, a rising senior, garnered his first honor of his final season, being named to the 10-member 2001-02 Playboy All-America Team. O'Connor, who led SJU with a 22.1 ppg average last year, becomes the first Hawk, and just the fifth Philadelphia Big Five Player to be honored by Playboy in the magazine's 25-year history of selecting the team. O'Connor, who transferred from city-rival Villanova, was a first team All-Atlantic 10 standout last season. Nelson was selected as National Freshman of Year by Sports Illustrated and was the A10 Rookie of the Year, averaging 12 ppg and leading the conference in assists per game (6.3). The duo led St. Joe's to a 26-7 record, beating Georgia Tech and losing to Stanford in the NCAA Tournament. The Hawks are a preseason Top 25 team this season.
7) Familiar Face... Rising senior Bill Phillips, a key contributor to the Hawks NCAA run last season, should be somewhat familiar to Richmond fans. In 1997, Phillips began his collegiate career at William and Mary, and was named to the Colonial Athletic Association's all-Rookie team. He was a top reserve on a squad that posted a 20-7 record and tied for the CAA regular season title, averaging 8.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He was third team All-Atlantic 10 this past season and was named the conference's Student-Athlete of the year.
8) Lights, Camera, Action... While many coach's tv shows have become extinct, Phil Martelli's HawkTalk is spreading its wings and flying high. The show's debut coincided with the 1997 NCAA Tournament runs by both the men's and women's teams. The show created an immediate stir for its Philadelphia viewers with a unique format. The antithesis of the traditional coaches' show, HawkTalk put personable coach Phil Martelli as host from behind the desk - a la Johnny Carson - for wacky interviews and shtick...and a few basketball highlites too. The show gained attention almost immediately, with clips airing nationally on ESPN and CBS. Print coverage peaked with a Sports Illustrated profile that year. Later renamed Phil Martelli's HawkTalk, the show was honored in January 2001 as the Best Coaches' Show in all of college basketball by The Sporting News.
9) Lights, Camera, Action, Part II... Coach Martelli isn't the only St. Joseph administrator who's taken a liking to the camera. University President Father Nicholas Rashford enjoys still photography so much that many of his pictures are displayed on the university's website. Among his collection are photos from trips to Italy and Ireland as well as many campus scenes.
10) Let's Eat... As was reported in our preview of La Salle, there's a great deal of argument as to who serves the best cheesesteaks in town. Most people know of the big three: Pat's (remember the Boyz to Men video?), Gino's (right across the street from Pat's), and Jim's (Located on South Street). Those are all great places to try, but if you're near the St. Joe's campus, Larry's Steaks, on 54th Street, right behind the St. Joe's FieldHouse is a favorite of the locals. A popular postgame spot for students, alumni and fans is the Muddy Duck, at 54th and City Line Avenue.
11) The Barnes Foundation... This is one of the world's most extensive collections of Post-Modern and Impressionist art and it's just a stone's throw from the SJU campus. Including furniture and sculpture, the collection contains 2,500 pieces. There is an extensive collection of African masks, 1,100 paintings and scores of grandfather clocks that chime on the hour, nearly in unison. In all, the collection is valued at more than four billion dollars . Some say it is worth much more. The Barnes owns 180 Renoirs in addition to 69 Cezannes, and 60 Matisses, as well as the works of Pippin, Picasso, Modigliani, Rousseau, Monet, Manet and Van Gogh.
12) Never Say Never, but... In five tries, the Spiders haven't beaten St. Joseph's in men's basketball. Their last meeting, in the first round of the 1986 NCAA Tournament, may be remembered by Spider fans for who didn't play as much as who did. While future UR Hall of Famer Johnny Newman scored a game high 25 points, defensive stalwart and future UR Hall of Famer John Davis was sidelined by a broken elbow. The Hawks scoring machine, Maurice Martin, whom Davis would have guarded, poured in a team high 21 points in St. Joe's 60-59 victory - leaving Spider fans to wonder what if... Ironically, Syracuse would play a huge part in Richmond history five years later. To add to the ironic twist, both Richmond and St. Joe's would be back in the Carrier Dome to play in Syracuse's Carrier Classic in 1999, but the teams didn't meet.
Next week... The Temple Owls
Pictures...
Martelli, Nelson, O'Connor and the Hawk: www.sjuhawks.com
Monet: www.barnesfoundation.org